A Knight in the Grail War
by Jauneforever
Summary: Zelretch loved to meddle, he loved to cause a bit of chaos every now and then. So when he saw how prominent one Jaune Arc was in a number of Universes he thought it be fun to toss a few into the Grail War. Time to break out the popcorn and watch the show.


**So its been a while since I posted anything. Really sorry for that but things have been busy in my life, hope this makes up for it. Pretty sure this is the largest thing I've ever written. I do not own RWBY or the Fate/ series.**

 _The Holy Grail, an artifact of immense power. The one who wields it is granted a wish, should they use it correctly the bearer of the grail could alter the world in their image. In order to gain this wish, one must win the Holy Grail War, they must become one of the seven to summon a Heroic Spirit from the Throne of Heroes. These Spirits become Servants, the ultimate familiar. Each servant will belong to a specific class that describes their role in combat, i.e. Lancer, Caster, and Saber to name a few. Unknown to most, the Grail has become a cursed object. Tainted by Angra Mainyu, the vessel of all the world's evils, in the 3_ _rd_ _war, it now malfunctions. Any wish granted will only end in tragedy. The last Grail War, the 4_ _th_ _, ended with a city burning to the ground and leaving only one survivor, those aligned with Evil can now be summoned as Servants, those summoned can be thrust into a Class they don't always belong to, and Heroic Sprits that are unheard of before are now available._

Illya stared at the Servant she had summoned, he was a blond man, having about four to five years on her putting him at 22-23 years old, wearing mix between causal wear and armor. He stood at over 6ft tall, dwarfing Illya at her 4ft 3in. His armor was white and gold like the sword that rested on his hip. The odd apparel wasn't what disturbed her though, it was the grin on his face. She knew she summoned a Berserker, the power of clairvoyance granted by the Grail said so.

 _ **Class – Berserker**_

 _ **True Name -?**_

 _ **Master – Illyaviel von Einzbern**_

 _ **Strength – C**_

 _ **Endurance – A**_

 _ **Agility – C**_

 _ **Magical Energy – A+**_

 _ **Luck – D**_

 _ **Riding – E**_

 _ **Class Skills**_

 _ **Eye of the Mind (False) – B, ? had a natural talent for strategy and it only grew throughout life. Capable of complete analysis of his enemy and battlefield**_

 _ **Mad Enhancement – B, Reason will be kept as long as allies can be harmed by this Servant's actions. The moment allies and loved ones are safe all sanity can be lost. Power Enhancement is locked until sanity is gone.**_

 _ **Magical Resistance – C**_

 _ **Personal Skills**_

 _ **Jaded View – C, this warrior has been through much, he no longer sees much good in the world. Able to tell when most people are lying thanks to the experience gained by exposure to experienced puppet masters.**_

 _ **Battle Continuation – B, refuses to fall while he has someone to protect. Unless a mortal blow is landed he will keep fighting until his foe is dead, his body can no longer move, or his allies can finish the job.**_

 _ **Self-Loathing – C, has a deep-seated hatred for himself, blames himself for many things and as such is disgusted with himself. Hidden well and unnoticed by many. Will throw himself into any situation uncaring for what damage might be wrought upon him.**_

 _ **Nobel Phantasm**_

 _ **Semblance of Aura Transference – B, allows the wielder to absorb aura/prana or give their own to enhance the target's aura/prana.**_

 _ **Crocea Mors – C+, a weapon passed down through the ? family and enhanced with metal from the weapons of ?'s deceased partner. Switches form from sword and sheath, sword and shield, and two-handed sword. Its durability and sharpness have lasted throughout generations and its upgrade has only enhanced these qualities.**_

 _ **Servant Rank - B**_

"So, you're my Master, nice to meet you." Illya's anger surged and she shoots Berserker in the gut with a bolt of magic. He doesn't even flinch but grits his teeth at her.

"What was that for!?"

"You're defective. You should be a mindless beast obeying my every order, your true name is unknown meaning you won't gain a power boost from people knowing you, and you don't have a powerful Nobel Phantasm." Berserker rubbed his stomach and pouted at Illya. Illya didn't care, she knew that she was right and so did he. The Grail implanted information like this into the Servants minds when they were summoned so he should know how disadvantaged he was.

"My Master is so mean." Illya's face turned red and the marks showing her command seals came out, her whole system flooded with prana in her anger. Berserker only looked towards her with concern and then placed his hands on her cheeks. Energy ran through her and warmth filled her. She could feel her prana strengthening, her body becoming stronger. Illya held in the gasp that wanted to escape her lips. She was a Homunculi, destined to die in this Grail War to ensure the Einzbern family got the Grail's wish. As a Homunculi, her body only had a few years left and yet she felt so full of energy.

"Master…" There was an edge to Berserkers voice, a dark quality lurked in his blue eyes that lost the warmth they once held and now looked colder than the mountain tops during winter. "…. those two maids, they obey you right?" Illya looked at Leysritt and Sella, her Homunculi maids and teachers for the past two years, and nodded. As long as Jubstacheit himself didn't give an order to them they listened to her above all others. Berserker's gaze turned towards the two maids. "Keep her safe. Don't let her leave till I come back." Illya watched as her Servant walked out the doors, a red aura beginning to form around him. His mad enhancement was unleashed, she knew it wouldn't be safe to try and stop him now. Masters had lost their lives to Mad Enhancement before and she had no intention to join them. As soon as the door closed a roar echoed throughout the family castle, screams soon followed along with crashes and explosions. Illya's guardians stood between her and the door. This went on for about an hour before Berserker returned, blood covering his armor and clothing but the red aura gone.

"Filth, the whole lot of them." Berserker starred at Illya, his eyes filled with sympathy. "My semblance, it seems being picked up by the Grail changed the nature of it. I saw some of your memories, we need to talk about the twisted image of your mother." Illya's thoughts went back to the visions of her mother that had come to her before, always talking about how her father had abandoned her for another child.

"Why?! She told me the truth! Papa abandoned me for another child, a boy he picked up off the street and chose over me!" Berserker looked back out the hallway and scowled.

"The old man lied to you." Illya froze at that. "I absorbed some energy from him and saw his memories, your father made several attempts to retrieve you." Illya didn't want to believe it but she could tell he wasn't lying. Berserker got on his knees and gripped the girl's shoulders. "Your father loved you Illya, he tried so hard to get back to you." Illya nodded, her eyes filling with tears as Berserker wrapped her up in a hug. "I promise you, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."

 **& *%$% &* **

Jaune leaned against the wall while Sena and Leysritt worked in the kitchen of Illya's dad's former home. Illya, her adoptive-brother Shirou, and another Master named Rin sat around a table discussing their pasts and an alliance in the war for the time being. This whole thing was an experience unlike anything Jaune had been through before and that was saying something, he still gapped at the sight of a moon that was in one piece. Being called Berserker was odd but the Grail implanted the necessary knowledge in his head, enough for him to rationalize being a completely different world. Jaune stared at his Master, the Lesser Grail. Her very body was to become the vessel of the Greater Grail which would grant the wish. Yet more ancient relics destroying people's lives, Jaune suspected that the Grail had something to do with those visions Illya saw of her mother. Illya would not die, he wouldn't allow it. He had a plan already, if he absorbed. He just wasn't sure how effective it would be.

He smiled as he watched Illya tentatively talk with Shirou Emiya, it had taken a lot of effort to convince he wasn't the reason her father left her and that killing him was unnecessary but he managed. Shirou had managed to back up what he had told Illya about her father and that was enough for Illya to embrace him as family. A grin slid onto Jaune's face as he remembered the look on the Einzberns' faces as he cut them down, any being that made Jacques Schnee look like a decent man deserved nothing less than death.

"Hey Archer, you and me should take guard duty." The brown skinned, white haired giant nodded and followed him outside. Three Master and Servant pairs in one place was just asking to be attacked. Shirou's Servant, his fellow blond, Saber could stay inside with them all. Archer and Jaune got on the roof and extended their senses to see if anything was coming.

"So, what kind of shit does Shirou have to look forward to." Archer stared at Jaune in shock. "Despite what many people have said I'm not a complete dolt. I can feel the similarities in your prana and you have some similar features despite the massive height difference and change of appearance." Archer narrowed his eyes at Jaune.

"You weren't the Berserker last time." Jaune looked at Archer with interest. "Illya summoned a Berserker without the control you have over Mad Enhancement. The Grail connects across the Multiverse, anything I know couldn't truly be trusted." Jaune nodded at that and then squinted at a small shape in the distance.

"Archer, what do you see in that tree there?" Archer looked at the tree Jaune pointed.

"Just a raven."

 **& *^%#%**

"SHOOT IT!" Archer reacted without thinking, Berserker's voice making him realize he that he needed to shoot. Forming a bow and arrow he fired at the Raven with pinpoint accuracy only for the bird to dodge. He continued to shoot and in a marvelous display of aerial acrobatics the creature dodged each shot.

"How…" Berserker held his sword out still in its sheath and it grew into a two-handed blade. Archer took all this in even as he continued to shoot. This was new, Berserker wasn't the only servant different in this timeline.

"Raven Branwen. Deadbeat mom and leader of a bandit clan. She's either Assassin class or Caster class. Skilled swordswoman with her multi-dust blade odachi. Willingness to kill is high, justifies it all with the idea that the weak deserve to die. Control of the elements due to being a Maiden, abilities limited only by her imagination. She can create portals to teleport to people she's bonded with but I don't know how the Grail might have affected that ability." Throughout the entire rundown of Raven's abilities Archer hadn't stopped firing at Raven and had managed to clip her once. The former bandit clan leader took to the clouds high above them and vanished from sight.

"How'd she die?"

"No clue, one second we're all knocking back some drinks and the next Yang is a Maiden. No time to explain." Archer accepted that and then spotted something in the clouds he fired another projectile and a lightning bolt destroyed it.

"Fuck, I was hoping she wouldn't have that power in death." Archer created a sword and the blade twisted into an oversized arrow. Archer followed up by using Projection to create several copies of the sword floating around him. He then flooded the weapons with prana and began to crack. All the swords flew into the sky, lighting shot forward to counter them but three made it through the guard. Once in the sky they blew up, filling the sky with crimson energy.

"CLANG!" Archer looked behind to see Berserker blocking a now broken odachi from hitting him. Its wielder, a black-haired woman with burning red eyes, glared at Berserker whose face had hardened at the sight of her.

"Going for the back is all your good for, isn't it Raven." Raven jumped back and sheathed her broken blade, with a flick of her wrist she withdrew it and a new red blade was in its place. "So then, the mighty Raven Branwen. Once a slayer of whole villages and now your someone's attack dog."

"Shut up!" Archer forms his preferred two short swords and grips them, ready for combat as Berserker gives a grin tinged with madness, a red glow beginning to form in his eyes.

"What? You already were a bitch, now you just have a better title." Raven lunges at Berserker with a cry of rage. Their blades meet and Archer darts in. It soon becomes clear that Raven is much more skilled than either of them, having to dodge bouts of flame, piercing icicles, and blades of wind wasn't helping. The only reason they were near even was because Berserker seemed to know which buttons to push, her anger destroying the gap between their skill levels.

"So, Raven I always wanted to know, did it feel good when you killed the last Maiden? Building up her trust in you, making sure she always thought of you up till the moment you snuffed her life out. I bet you and Vernal had a good laugh about that. From that alone I can already guess the wish you want granted, ultimate power. After all you tossed aside everyone for it, what else would you wish for?"

"Shut up! That was a mercy, she wouldn't have lasted in Remnant the way she was!" Sparks fly as Berserker's weapon shifts into a shield and blocks her blade as it thrums with energy. Raven's eyes leak out energy in a flame like shape. "She had Salem and that damn Wizard wanting her dead or as their pawn, she was too weak for the world. And as for what I tossed aside, I did that for their own sake. Taiyang's morals wouldn't let him join me and I didn't want Yang ending up as a pawn in the Wizard and Salem's war." Her next blow sliced into Berserker's shoulder, he in turn brought his shield down on the blade and shattered it.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night. All you did in the end was leave Yang with plenty of abandonment issues and curse her with the power of a Maiden. Archer, I'm gonna go wild." Archer leaps to the far side of the roof as a blood-red aura bursts from Berserker and pushed Raven off the roof. The dark-haired woman crashes into the street below, blood flying from her mouth when she hits the ground.

"RAAGGH!" With a roar Berserker is seconds behind her, his blade back in its two-handed state but now wielded in only one hand. Raven rolls out of the way right as the blade hits the street, a crater forming from the impact as a cloud of dust hid him from view. Raven swung at the dust cloud and the force of her swing blew it away. Berserker was revealed to be crouching, his teeth bared in a growl as his eyes were glowing as red as the aura that surrounded him. The odachi struck Berserker in the leg and shattered on impact, his return swing caught her in the chest and sent Raven flying back into a parked car that warped around her body with the impact. "RAAAAGGHHHHH!" Berserker cried out as he rushed towards Raven's downed form, ice covers the street and spikes rush forward and impale Berserker through his left shoulder, his right thigh, and his stomach stopping in his tracks. With the added force of his charge Berserker was unable to stop, the icicles plunging through his body easily and decorating the streets with his blood. Raven gets to her feet and makes to move only to cry out as Archer put an arrow in her thigh. She clutches at the shaft and brakes it off when a pulse of aura catches her attention, she looks up to see Berserker swinging his sword at her.

"GAAAHHH!" Raven coughs up more blood as her left arm is separated from her body by the blade beam Berserker sent her way. Berserker then swings at the spikes of ice as Archer puts several more arrows in her legs. Berserker walks forward, the icicles still sticking out of his body. The red aura slowly fading away with each step as his wounds sealed shut, forcing the ice out with each step. Berserker's eyes return to their normal blue as he stops right in front of Raven. Pity fills his eyes as he stares down at her.

 **% $#%#**

"You know Yang, Ruby, Qrow, Taiyang, they all cried for you. After everything you did to them they were still willing to cry for you when you died." Raven looked up at Jaune in shock. "You abandon them, work alongside Salem, and slaughter countless people and they still cried for you."

"Was she happy?" Raven looked at Jaune with pleading eyes. Jaune could see she was done fighting, he had drained enough from her during the battle that she wouldn't be able to make a decent counter attack.

"I didn't make it past the final battle but up till that moment I think was as happy as she could be. Yang had her friends, enjoyed her life, found love. I'm pretty sure she was happy." Raven closed her eyes and smiled, a lone tear falling down her face.

"That's good." Raven looked back up at Jaune, her face serious once more. "Caster summoned me, no-one from Remnant but her power is nothing to sneeze at. She has an obsession with the Saber of this war and can create an item which will sever the contract between Master and Servant so that she can enslave the Servant." Jaune nods at that and raises his blade.

"Thanks, one last piece of info before you go."

SCHTT! Crocea Mors was driven through Raven, utterly destroying her chest and the organs within. Energy began to stream from her body and was sucked into Jaune as he used his semblance to absorb it.

"I put the Wizard down permanently." A cruel grin made all the more terrifying by the blood pouring from her mouth graced Raven's face before her body dissolved away. Archer dropped down to the street and walked over to Jaune.

"The Wizard?"

"A parasitic soul that moved from body to body, absorbing the soul of his host over time and taking control of the body. He was a manipulative prick that ate away at a friend of ours right before our eyes. When that happened I lost it, I let him live until he crossed one more line and then I absorbed all his aura until there was nothing left. He couldn't move on after that." Archer watched as Jaune gripped the red sash that hung at his side as he shook with anger. "That bastard said he was on our side but all he cared about was that the population was sustainable, individual lives didn't matter to him in the end." Jaune sighed and put his weapon into its sheathe form again.

"Let's go let everyone know we took out a Servant. That item sounds like we'll need to make a plan around it."

"This Servant did happen in my time, Raven didn't though."

"Good, you know what to expect." Archer's next words froze Jaune in place.

"Illya died and no offense but her last Servant was stronger than you." Archer was surprised when a smirk was Jaune's response to what he said. He was met with a steely-eyed gaze filled with determination.

"Her last Servant couldn't prevent her from getting devoured by the Greater Grail. I absorbed Raven's essence just then, I can feel it inside of me." Archer looked at him in shock. "I swore to her that I would protect her. I don't go back on my word." Determination, burning determination filled Jaune's eyes as he stared at Archer. "I did not wipe the Einzberns out just so Illya could die anyway. She is going to survive this war and get to know her brother. If I'm not enough I'll beat everything Shirou needs to know in order to protect her into him."

"I have little natural talent."

"Nor do I, all that means is I need to train him till he collapses to the ground wishing he was dead." Archer looked at the unfamiliar Servant and felt something that he hadn't felt in a long time, Hope. This unknown Berserker could change the timeline, he could stop his past self from making the choices that led to him become what he is today. And if he failed Archer could just kill his past self before it was all over. Jaune started walking back only to find his arms filled with Illya when she rushed him.

"Berserker! What were you thinking!?" Jaune smiled down at Illya and set her on the ground. He rubbed her head and smiled at her.

"Come on Illya, do you doubt my strength that much?" Illya's servants and the others had caught up to them. Rin was chewing Archer out while Saber and Shirou stood off to the side.

"Yes."

"Such a mean Master you are. Moving on my planned worked." Illya looked at him in shock, he had told her his plan and she thought it would never work. "I absorbed that Servant's power and I'm burning through it right now. We might not be able to make a wish but this should keep you alive." Illya wrapped Jaune in a hug once more, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Thank you." Jaune returned the hug.

"I promised you I would protect you. No matter what I will keep my word." Jaune's face hardened for a moment. Illya would not die, he wouldn't allow it. If he had to die to keep her safe so be it, he did it for Ruby and he would do it for Illya. His gaze then turned on Shirou.

"Oh Shirou, if you're going to have a dream of being a hero you're going to need training. Get ready for training for hell, by the time I'm done with you'll be able to hold your own against anything." At the gleam in Jaune's eyes Shirou felt a chill run down his spine.

"He's right Master, I shall help in this effort."

"Count me in, sounds like it'll be fun."

"I'll help Onii-chan as well."

Shirou felt an immense desire to run for it at that moment. It showed he had some common sense.

 **& (%*#%^#^**

Shirou clutched Sakura to him as he stared in horror at the pit of insects that resided in her basement. Berserker had taken one look at her after their encounter with Shinji and Rider and flipped out, grabbing her and demanding to know what was inside her body. In the face of his fury, none of it directed at her, she had broken down and told them everything. She told them how pieces of the last grail were insider her body, how the worms inserted into her by her adoptive family kept her alive but would rob her of her sanity over time. Shirou felt like stabbing himself when he learned how Shinji systematically abused her in every way, shape, and form and he hadn't noticed a thing, he had let the guy walk away earlier on when Rin and the others said they should kill him. He had just wanted no one to die and instead he sent an angry Shinji back home where he took everything out on Sakura. Upon hearing that all he could do was beg Sakura for forgiveness.

In the pit the worms writhed and Shirou was sure he would be sick, Sakura had been put in that thing constantly!? He then turned towards Berserker who had Sakura's grandfather in his grip, one hand gripping his skull while the other is right over her heart.

"Damn you're a nasty piece of work. Is being a parasite a requirement for immortality or is that just my bad luck to meet two parasites?" Zouken didn't reply, all he could do is scream as his prana was ripped away from him violently and painfully. Berserker had explained what he was doing early on. First he had drained the Grail shards in Sakura of their power, removing their threat to her life, and then the worms inside her were drained of all their power, killing the creatures. After invading the Matou house, destroying any defense in their path Berserker was now draining Zouken of all his energy. The worms in the pit next to them died and Shirou watched as one by one they died. "So you just need one of these things to live, each one holding a portion of your soul so that if you die you can hop to one of them and rebuild your body." An insane grin appeared on Berserker's face as the distinctive red aura of Mad Enhancement began to flicker in and out. "WHAT A JOKE!? ARE YOU TRULY SUCH A COWARD THAT YOU'D TURN INTO A WORM TO SURVIVE!? NO THAT'S AN INSULT TO THE WORMS! YOU'RE BELOW THEM!" Every worm in the pit has died now, their bodies dissolving into a disgusting sludge. Zouken has stopped moving now.

Even a Heroic Servant with strength at rank E can lift boulders with ease. Those with A level strength could create destruction on the level of natural disasters with nothing but their physical might. To a Servant with C rank strength human bones were no tougher to break than snapping a pencil was to a regular human. With a quick squeeze of his hand Berserker reduced Zouken's head to nothing more than a thin red paste, splattering the wall in front of him with blood and brain matter. Shirou looked at Berserker with wide eyes as the warrior turned back towards them, his eyes cold and his face splattered with red, only hours ago the man had been giving Illya a piggy-back ride and teaching him strategy with a smile on his face.

Berserker had said that he didn't want Shirou to end up like him and on the way here he made it clear what he meant. He didn't want Shirou to suffer the loss of someone close to him for a long time and after seeing what Sakura went through daily Shirou realized it would have only been a matter of time. With burning determination Shirou met Berserker's gaze.

"Teach me everything." Berserker merely nodded. Shirou looked at the shivering girl in his arms and tightened his grip on her. If he ever saw Shinji again he would make the boy pay for his crimes, this time he wouldn't let him walk away.

 *** &%))%&%&**

Illya watched as her Servant's life played out in front of her, just as she had every night for the past few months.

She watched him grow up, he was loved by his family but smothered. He grew up with his family treating him like something fragile. At times he seemed little more than a mascot for them.

She watched him go to Beacon, watched as he grew under his partner's, the first person to actually believe in him, teachings. Berserker was incredibly dense, not noticing she loved him till she kissed him right before she ran off to get herself killed. Illya couldn't understand that. Berserker's partner had just watched the woman fly away from killing the strongest person on the campus and then ran off to fight the woman alone, said woman using flames and glass weapons which rendered her semblance worthless for her usual methods of using it yet she went after her anyway? Was it pride, stupidity, or just a way to commit suicide? No matter the answer it didn't matter, this was the moment Berserker became such. After calling friends to try and get Pyrrha some help he later flew into a rage, slaughtering the Grimm around him consumed by anger and sorrow.

She watched as he buried everything and went to the place where his partner's killer supposedly came from. Watched as he began to have more incidents where his emotions came out and a Berserk state overtook him. Watched as he learned just what his partner had become mixed up it, came face to face with the magic his world possessed. Relics that could rival the Grail and sources of power that hopped from host to host. She saw as he began a tentative relationship and watched as it blossomed.

The Wizard, she saw why he called the creature a parasite, she watched as the farm boy named Oscar was slowly lost to them and replaced. The creature that killed him acted like it was sorry but Illya had spent years around professional monsters, she saw the lie for what it was and so did Berserker. He didn't act at first, aware that the creature dubbed the Wizard was necessary for a time, he didn't act until the creature tried to sacrifice the last two members of his team. She watched as a supposedly immortal being died as Berserker drained all his power, leaving him none to perform his brand of reincarnation.

Berserker had never told her the down-side to this action, that his friend Ruby never forgave him. She believed they could save Oscar, that the boy's soul might still be salvageable. It wasn't, Illya knew enough about the type of magic the Wizard used to know the boy's soul was gone, but she didn't know that. She watched their war against the Witch named Salem.

Illya had finally reached the end, she wondered when she would. Berserker and his friends were thrown back by a massive blast of magic during their fight against Salem, hurting each one of them badly. In response, Berserker reached out with his semblance to all six of them and poured all his power into them, ignoring his own wounds that were steadily bleeding him out. The Witch died to the scythe of Ruby Rose, his friends embraced each other in celebration and then noticed they were missing one, she saw the horror on their faces as Berserker collapsed to the ground in a pool of his own blood.

"JAUNE!"

Illya sat up in her bed, panic filling her. She looked to the side and saw Berserker sleeping on his cot. Jaune … so that is his true name. When he talked her into giving her Onii-chan a chance he mentioned how much it hurt to never fix bridges. Illya was sure he was talking about Ruby, about how he never managed to patch things up with his best friend.

The young girl got up and padded over to Jaune, crawling up on him and hugging him. His arms wrapped around her unconsciously, Illya snuggled into his chest. It was so long she had forgotten what it felt like to be held during the night.

"Good night Jaune."

 **#)($)# &%&***

Jaune drank tea as he tried hard not to think about what was going on back at Shirou's house. The battle against Caster had been harsh, draining, and ended with Saber drained of Prana and Archer going rouge. Since Shirou and Saber's connection was fragile at best he wasn't able to give her Prana the usual way, Rin gave them a solution that would let Shirou physically give Saber Prana and upon hearing that he hightailed it out of there with Illya. The ritual they used involved sex and he was not sticking around, he was haunted enough from the time Nora and Ren forgot to check and see if their room was soundproofed. Added in that Rin was joining in and Sakura had walked in as they ran out he didn't want to be there once they got going.

"Berserker… can you answer some questions for me?" Jaune glanced at Illya who was sipping her own drink.

"Yeah."

"Can you explain love to me?"

"SPPCHKK! GACK!" Jaune chocked on his drink at Illya's question, of all the things she could have asked that wasn't what he was expecting. "Why do you think I'm a good person to ask?" Illya shrugged at that.

"Who else can I ask?" Jaune grimaced at that question, his dreams had shown him her life and it only made him feel even more certain about his removal of the Einzbern family. Love was something that had been in short supply for her after she lost her parents.

"Love is something that drives you crazy, it makes you want to do impossible things and can let you do such things. It can be your ruin or your greatest accomplishment. And there are many kinds of love. The kind you feel for family, the kind you feel for a spouse, the kind you feel for your friends." Jaune stared up at the sky as he spoke, memories coming to the surface as tried to describe something that you could spend your whole life contemplating and never truly understanding. To this day he still had no idea what he truly felt for Pyrrha, it was love but how strongly he felt he would never know.

"Love makes you crazy… is that why you had Weiss see a psychologist before you began to date." Jaune's thoughts ground to a halt as he starred at his Master.

"How much of my life have you seen?"

"The dreams skipped through most of your childhood, gave me the highlights of Beacon and then showed me pretty much everything after you learned of Magic." Jaune starred at the girl with his mouth hanging open and a massive blush on his face. "Don't worry, I already knew about sex before I saw you and Weiss taking petty vengeance on her father." A twitch appear on Jaune's face at the knowledge that Illya had seen them in such a position. "How was using his desk for se…MMPH!" Jaune cut her off mid-sentence by placing his hand over her mouth, not wanting to hear anymore as his face was now blazing red.

"O…okay ignoring that now. No I had Weiss do that because I would have felt scummy otherwise." Illya continued to stare at him so he sighed and continued. "Seeing as you've seen everything I'm sure that includes the first time I used my semblance."

"When Weiss was pierced through her stomach by the spear and several organs were damaged or destroyed." Jaune grimaces at Illya's description of the event, just thinking about he can remember the cold feeling that had filled his chest as he tried to stop the blood loss. The warmth leaving her and flowing through his fingers as she just kept bleeding and then the sight of her aura kick starting once more, the drain on his letting him know he was doing this.

"Yeah, that. I think given the events it was justifiable to think it was some version of Hero's syndrome or even worse that it was a side-effect of my semblance. The second was easy enough to dismiss after no-one else showed any behavioral changes and once I was assured that her feelings weren't the result of her near-death experience I had no problem giving us a try. We kept it quiet because well…. Honestly Nora and Yang were the main reasons. And after Ruby cut ties with me we honestly couldn't bring our relationship into the open. Weiss had already lost one family and I didn't want to be the reason she lost another. The only reason I didn't call it off is because she refused to accept it. Heh heh. I remember one time when she got a little tipsy she said that when we got married either Winter or Ruby would be the one to walk her down the aisle." Jaune stares down at his drink as what he says sinks in, he and Weiss had tentatively made plans to get married once the war was over but his death kinda screwed those plans up. Jaune's thoughts ground to a halt at that last thought.

He had died. It wasn't until now that that fact really sunk in. He had died and now he would never see them again. He was never going to walk Nora down the aisle like he promised he would, he would never be Ren's best man, he would never be able to patch things up with Ruby, he'd never get to wake up with Weiss in his arms again. Jaune had to make efforts to control his breathing, it hadn't registered that he couldn't wish himself back to life till now. With the Grail corrupted even if it granted the wish it would be in the most horrible way possible.

"Berserker?" Jaune looked up to see Illya looking at him with concern and the sight made him calm down.

'That's right, this is no different than last time.' Jaune reaches over and pats Illya on the head while assuring her he is fine. 'I don't matter, I'm a Heroic Spirit, still questioning how I ever become one, and a Servant to boot. My time is over but Illya's isn't.' Illya looks up at Jaune with a beaming smile as she leaves some money for their drinks. He picks her up and sets her on his back as they head back to the mansion they were occupying for the duration of the war. Illya snuggles into his neck as she falls asleep halfway back. 'As long as she lives and can smile like that I've done my job, just like last time.' Last time he died his last sight was Weiss's smile as she hugged her team, it made everything worth it, Illya's smile was worth almost as much.

 **^*$(^ &$(*%**

Jaune coughed up blood as his assailant sent him skidding across the floor. The attacker had nearly killed Sena and Leysritt and now wanted to kill Illya. Illya stood behind him, several magic constructs ready to blast the foe, Jaune was near panicking at the identity of his foe. The man standing across from them was the Archer servant from the last Grail War, Gilgamesh the strongest heroic spirit. He was a freaking Demigod with a personal dimension filled with endless amounts of treasures: weapons, magic artifacts, apparently a floating fortress that put anything Atlas had to shame. He had hundreds if not thousands of Nobel Phantasms, most Heroic Spirits were lucky to have two.

'How the fuck is this possible, he's supposed to have been destroyed." Jaune watched as Gilgamesh swung his arm and golden portals opened up and shot several swords in their direction. Jaune swung the flat of Crocea Mors in their direction and created a 'wall' of wind to send them flying back. Out of the corner of his eye Jaune saw Sena and Leysritt get up, worse for the wear but still alive.

"Illya, I need a boost." Illya nodded and called upon her Command Seals.

"Berserker, destroy him. Berserker, don't lose." Jaune felt his power rise as the commands were given. They weren't guarantees of victory but they gave him a nice power boost. "It was fun Illya, forgive me for this." He took a step back and then hit Illya on the back of the neck.

"Ber..serker?" Illya collapsed to the ground out cold, even her enhanced body couldn't handle the blow.

"Sena, Ley, get her out of here." The two maids nodded and ran over to her. Gilgamesh rushed them only to be stopped by Jaune, their blades crossing in a deadlock. During this time the two maids ran outside, Sena carrying Illya as she was the only one with both arms still attached.

"You think this will stop me, I am the absolute strongest. All who stand in the way of my enjoyment will die. Who are you to stand in the way of the King of Heroes?" Jaune shoves him back and puts Crocea Mors into its longsword mode.

"Heh, me? I'm nobody, just a guy that somehow ended up ascending to the Throne of Heroes. But I can promise you this, you won't be touching Illya!" Gilgamesh smirked at him, finding enjoyment in the anger in Jaune's eyes. More portals opened as Jaune used his semblance on himself as Mad Enhancement began to take effect. The red aura surrounded him and mixed with the white of his semblance. Several swords shot out at him only to shatter upon impact with his aura.

"GGGHHAA!" Berserker charged Gilgamesh, a crater forming where he kicked off the ground. Gilgamesh laughed as he leapt to the side, dodging the blow that shattered the ground where he once stood.

"HAHA! What fire in your eyes, you might actually be worth the effort mongr.. GAHHH!" Gilgamesh's eyes widened as a fist slammed into his chest, his breath leaving him as he was thrown back into the wall, several ribs cracking as well. He then ducked as Berserker's blade carved into where his head once was, the wall blasting back from the force of the swing. The entirety of the mansion behind it collapsing and several hundred feet of the forest behind the mansion getting cut down. "Heh, pretty strong mongrel." Another portal opened and a large blade slammed into Berserker followed by five more shoving him back. "But I am still the strongest, hey moron go after the girl." Gilgamesh looked to where the brat he was using for a temporary master was when this started only to see he had already fled. He blocked Berserker's next sword swing as his anger rises, of course the little shit had run away. Gilgamesh turned his attention back to Berserker, blocking each swing as they came.

"What are you? Rank B, yes I put you between that and low A ranking. What a waste of time!" A multitude of portals opened as Gilgamesh kicked Berserker back and released their payloads at him. Explosion after explosion erupted from where Berserker stood, roars filled the air as Berserker is hit again and again. Eventually the projectiles end and chains shoot out and wrap around Berserker.

"Those are the Chains of Heaven, more than enough to hold you." Gilgamesh walks towards Berserker with a sword drawn as the red aura evaporates. "Even if the Doll were to use your final Command Seal to call you away it wouldn't work. Be grateful that I deigned to use the Chains to bind you, its more than a nobody like you deserves."

"EX rank." Gilgamesh stops and stares at his opponent. "I read about you in Illya's library, her 'family' was meticulous in their record keeping. You are the sole bearer of the EX rank and wield the pinnacle of Nobel Phantasms, I'm honestly amazed you didn't win the last War." Gilgamesh scoffs at that, the memory of what occurred fresh in his mind.

"I did win, if it hadn't been for my beloved Saber's Master ordering her to destroy the Grail I would have claimed if and her for my own."

"I see, no-one can actually beat you. Not without the circumstances being tilted in their favor to an extreme degree." Berserker looked back up at Gilgamesh with a grin filled with madness. "LUCKILY I CAN DO THAT!" Power erupted around the bound knight and shattered the chains, his aura soon joined it along with the red aura of Mad Enhancement. Gilgamesh stepped back in shock.

"How!? How can a mongrel like you have such power!?" Berserker held his sword above his head, all the power gathering around it.

"Assassin, Caster, and Rider. When each of those Servants died I absorbed all their power, I planned on making sure the Grail couldn't get ahold of it so that Illya would live and burning through it all to kill you should work just as well! A pillar of energy shot out of Crocea Mors, Gilgamesh was reminded of when Saber's Excalibur destroyed the Grail ten years ago. "I made Illya a promise, I swore she would survive this war! I refuse to break my word and anyone that tries to do so…" Jaune swings the sword, all the gathered power being flung forward right at Gilgamesh. The strongest Heroic Spirit tries to draw his strongest weapon from his Treasury but it's too late, the gathered energy strikes him and begins to tear him apart. "…. CAN GO STRAIGHT TO HELL!"

"DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU, YOU MONGRAALLLL!" An explosion occurs, engulfing the entire mansion that once housed Illya and her entourage.

 ** &^$^*(&**

Jaune limped down the escape route, blood from the maids' wounds showing him the way by staining the snow. He clutched the broken hilt of Crocea Mors in his hand, the power too much for the blade to handle despite its durability. His armor was cracked, his clothes torn, and all of it covered in blood, he wasn't sure how much of it was his.

'Oum, I hope that killed the bastard. I think even he'd be hard pressed to survive that, especially in a flesh and blood body, but I didn't see no body and that came back to bite us plenty before.' Jaune kept moving forward, faint traces of energy leaking off him. He made it another fifty feet before collapsing against a tree, sliding down against the trunk till he hit the ground. All around him the snow turned red as he tried to get up but failed. He felt the last of his Command Seals get used but he couldn't respond to the summons, he lacked the energy to do so. Everything had been used up in that last attack, all the power of the Servants he had absorbed and his own. Panic filled him as he realized he was dying, again.

'Illya… I need to get back to her.' Jaune tried to move once more but failed just as he had last time. 'I can't leave just yet, I have to make sure she's safe.' A small part of Jaune voiced another fear, the fear of dying alone once more. Last time he had slipped away before the others even noticed.

"Damn I suck, once more I die before I can apologize. Last time it was Ruby and this time its…"

"BERSERKER!" Jaune looked up to see Illya staring down at him in horror, Shirou, Rin, and Saber standing right behind her.

"Hey there Master, I think this is as far as I go." Illya dropped to her knees and grabbed his arm.

"No! NO! You can't go! Please don't leave me!" Jaune brought one arm up and wrapped it around her, pulling the sobbing girl into his embrace. Shirou and Rin were examining him, possibly trying to think of a way to save him but Jaune knew it was pointless, it wasn't the multitude of wounds that was going to kill him but the sheer lack of energy. His connection to the world was hanging on by a thread and it was only a matter of time before it snapped. His other arm snapped out and grabbed Shirou by the collar and pulled him close.

"I know you have a saving people thing that puts my entire team and team RWBY to shame but let me make sure one thing sticks. Illya comes before any random person, you got it!?" Shirou nods, his eyes not wavering from the glare that had made the likes of Mercury Black take a step back. "Good." The last sliver of energy Jaune had flowed into Shirou and Illya as he began to mutter a chant that he could never forget, the one that Pyrrha had spoken for him so long ago. " _For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee."_ Shirou's eyes widened as he felt a power waking up in him while Illya stared at him with teary eyes. "That … that should help you two, I left a small notebook that can give you some information on aura at Shirou's place. I … I had a lot of fun Illya, I actually got to feel like a father at times with you. Now go finish what your Papa started and destroy that corrupted Grail." Jaune's head lulled to the side, his body dissolving into light. Unlike the other Servants no energy flowed out of him, every last bit spent and ensuring the Grail got nothing from him.

"Berserker! Berserker! JAUNE! DON'T GO!" Once more darkness consumed Jaune's vision, his last sight Illya clutching what remained of his body before he completely disappeared.

 ***%)^)(^*% &)**

Jaune's eyes opened, that alone scared him. He didn't really recall anything from when he was at the Throne of Heroes, so he wasn't expecting consciousness to return. he looked around and realized he was in a hospital somewhere. An IV was stuck in him and the spots where he had been hurt in that battle with Salem itched. He noticed a flash of white and gold in the corner and saw Crocea Mors, undamaged besides looking like it needed a good polishing. Jaune managed to get himself into a sitting position and rubbed his head, his hand brushing against an eye-patch while doing so.

'Really hoping I didn't lose an eye, given my luck I probably did. Was that some crazy dream, Illya, the Grail, everything? He looked to the side and froze at the picture on the bedside table. He scrambled and snatched it up. Staring up at him from the photograph was Illya, Shirou, Rin, Sakura, and Saber. The time stamp on the photo dating a year after Illya had summoned him, no way had the War dragged on that long with the five, six if you counted Archer but that was a questionable, of them working to stop it. Flipping the picture over he found writing on the back.

" _Thanks for the entertainment, always so fun to see the good guys win. You'll be happy to know Illya will live a full life. You should know that you didn't actually become a true Heroic Spirit, I simply slipped your spirit into the system for a one-time summon. It was child's play to manipulate the Einzbern's to use a catalyst that could serve as a basis for you to come out of, in this case it was a piece of wood from Joan of Arc's pyre. As for how I got your spirit, you died. Several times actually, your friends restarted your heart twice and you've been in a coma for a week. Now that your part in the war is done I put you back where you belong. Sincerely, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. PS: You did indeed kill Gilgamesh, I always hate that version of him. His child self is much better._

'Zelretch, oh the Grail gave me the basics on him. An immortal vampire that loves to toy with people all over the multiverse, time and space mean nothing to his power. Oum only knows why he did that to me. It's probably some big joke that only he can understand.' Jaune looks at the picture one more time, curious but ultimately uncaring about how Saber was still there, his focus solely on the bright smile Illya had while hugging her brother. 'Still, at least Illya's happy.' The sound of shattering glass fills Jaune's ears and he looks to the source. Ruby is standing in the doorway in shock, the rest of their friends standing behind her. It felt like a lifetime ago that he had seen them all. He smiled at them and waved.

"Hey guys, can I assume we won?" His answer comes in the form of Weiss rushing him and pulling him into an intense kiss, one which he eagerly returns. He eagerly accepts the slap that follows, the pain proving this isn't a dream. With a laugh he tugs Weiss down onto his lap and hugs her close, burying his face in her hair and drinking in her presence. The rest of the group crowds around but Jaune is too absorbed in his current actions to notice. Once he does he's barely able to follow along as his friends shout out their glee at his awakening and anger at his actions. Ruby begs for forgiveness she never needed to ask for and he eagerly hugs his reinstated best friend. He asks for her permission to marry her partner right after, loving the blush it puts on Weiss's face and the glee it puts in the groups eyes. Later he told them about what had happened to him, it showed just how much crazy the seven of them had been exposed to when they accepted his tale rather than finding out what sized straightjacket he wore.

A year later when their daughter was born there was really only one name they could give her, Illya Schnee-Arc.

 **So I was thinking I might make this a series, try to do at least six more chapters and put Jaune in all seven roles from Fate/stay night UBW. If anyone has any ideas for the backgrounds of the other Jaunes for the other classes I'm more than willing to listen. Saber Jaune is the only one I have an idea for right now and he'd be the good old standby of RWBY roleswap where Jaune is the champion and Pyrrha is the one completely out of her depth. Actually make that at least seven more chapters, I saw this awesome picture for a Jaune Alter that really gave me some ideas.**


End file.
